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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2018 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.engadget.com/2015/04/25/google-waves-goodbye-to-nexus-7/https://www.engadget.com/2015/04/25/google-waves-goodbye-to-nexus-7/https://www.engadget.com/2015/04/25/google-waves-goodbye-to-nexus-7/#comments

In case you were on the fence about grabbing one of Google's affordable Nexus tablets, you'd better jump off it pretty soon. The Nexus 7's been pulled from the Google Store, as spotted by TalkAndroid, and it almost assuredly isn't coming back -- especially since the Nexus 9 exists. That means if you still want one of the consistently updated 7-inch slates you'll have to hit places like Amazon while supplies last or wallow in regret for all that could've been. Namely, owning a tablet that (to me at least) is more comfortable to hold than the IPad Mini 2 and is essentially just as capable.

It seems that Disney has instituted its own version of Order 66 and cleansed the iOS App Store, Google Play Store and Windows Store of free-to-play mobile games Star Wars Assault Team and Tiny Death Star. Both Pocket Gamer and Game Informer report that the decision to pull the games - both of which had been available for less than a year - was made so that the company could focus on Star Wars Commander.

Further, it seems that Nimblebit - co-developer with Disney Mobile on Tiny Death Star - was not made aware of the game being retired prior to the game, well ... being retired. "We're very disappointed to see Tiny Death Star shuttered less than a year after launch," Marsh wrote to Game Informer. "We had no prior knowledge that the game would be removed and no longer even have a contact at Disney after the recent layoffs."

"Suffice to say if you're a developer looking to partner with Disney this might not be the partnership you're looking for." Ouch. Maybe it's because the games just didn't fit Disney's new canon for the Star Wars universe?

Hammerpoint Interactive's The War Z has been removed from Steam amid allegations of false advertising from its community, which claims that the developer knowingly listed inaccurate information on The War Z's Steam profile.

Originally, the game's profile touted multiple areas ranging in size from 100 to 400 kilometers and servers capable of handling up to 100 players, according to this screenshot obtained by Gamespy. The profile also stated that The War Z was a "Single Purchase, Downloadable Client with the ability to play the full game without subscriptions or requiring in-game transactions," and failed to mention that this is a "Foundation Release," meaning that the game is still under development, with some areas even marked with alpha testing information.

In actuality, the game only has one zone, and servers were initially capped at a maximum of 50 players, though that issue at least appears to have been corrected. Moreover, The War Z features a microtransactional-based in-game economy, somewhat contradicting its claim of being a "single purchase" game. The profile has since been rejiggered and no longer makes mention of the multiple zones, nor does it make any mention of in-game transactions. It does, however, still neglect information about the game's somewhat early developmental stage.
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arktos-entertainmentfalse-advertisinghammerpoint-interactivepcrefundremovedsteamthe-war-zvalveWed, 19 Dec 2012 15:30:00 -050011|20407493https://www.engadget.com/2011/10/15/google-voice-pulled-from-app-store-following-ios-5-crash/https://www.engadget.com/2011/10/15/google-voice-pulled-from-app-store-following-ios-5-crash/https://www.engadget.com/2011/10/15/google-voice-pulled-from-app-store-following-ios-5-crash/#comments

What once was there now is gone. Earlier today, Google Voice was just two clicks away in the iOS App Store. Now, all that remains is a page cache (at the source link below) and versions of the app that were already installed on iPhones and iPod touches. Vincent Paquet, Senior Product Manager for Google Voice confirmed that the app had been pulled, explaining "our last update of this week had a bug that caused the app to crash at sign in. We removed it so it did not affect additional users until the fix gets published." We've been using the most recent version -- 1.3.0.1771 -- on an iPhone 4 running iOS 5 without issue, but recent reviews cite the reported crashing, so it's definitely affecting at least some users. We don't have an ETA for when you can expect the app to return, so if you don't already have it installed, you'll need to hang tight for the time being. The service should function normally otherwise, assuming your phone number has already been registered, though you won't be able to begin new text threads or make outgoing calls using your Google Voice number.
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app storeappleapple iphoneappleiphoneappstorebugbugscallcallingcallsgooglegoogle voicegooglevoicegviosios appiosappiphoneiphone 4iphone 4siphone4iphone4siphonesissueissuesmobilemobilepostcrosspulledremovalremovedvincent paquetvincentpaquetSat, 15 Oct 2011 18:33:00 -040021|20082539https://www.engadget.com/2011/08/13/amazon-axes-copied-content-duplicate-kindle-store-ebooks-get-th/https://www.engadget.com/2011/08/13/amazon-axes-copied-content-duplicate-kindle-store-ebooks-get-th/https://www.engadget.com/2011/08/13/amazon-axes-copied-content-duplicate-kindle-store-ebooks-get-th/#comments

If we take a can of Spam and call it "Engadget's precooked pork meat product," you'll still know it's the same mystery meat you ate for lunch, right? Under the idea of "private label rights," authors can do just that: sell their works to others who can rebrand and resell them. This week, Amazon cracked down on duplicate ebooks in its Kindle Store, pulling titles because they "diminish the experience for customers." One copycat who got the smack down called it a "kick in the pants" when his 22 titles got yanked. He did, however, admit he had the swift one coming. Aping authors can expect more book banning Kung Fu as Amazon continues to rid itself of "undifferentiated or barely differentiated versions of e-books." Hi-yah!
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amazonamazon kindleamazon kindle storeamazonkindleamazonkindlestoreauthorsbanbannedbanningbookse booke book storee bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readere-readersebookreaderebookstorekindlekindle storekindlestorereadingremovalremoveremovedSat, 13 Aug 2011 16:09:00 -040021|20016767https://www.engadget.com/2010/12/18/viewsonic-g-tablet-pulled-from-staples-stores-manufacturing-de/https://www.engadget.com/2010/12/18/viewsonic-g-tablet-pulled-from-staples-stores-manufacturing-de/https://www.engadget.com/2010/12/18/viewsonic-g-tablet-pulled-from-staples-stores-manufacturing-de/#comments

Oh boy, we've not been shy about our love for NVIDIA's Tegra 2, but the tablets that have opted to use it so far keep meeting the same miserable end: discontinuation from shop floor availability. First the Toshiba Folio 100 bit the British dust because of a bunch of quality control issues, and now Viewsonic's G Tablet is getting its marching orders from Staples, with only a "manufacturing defect" cited as the cause. If we weren't such charitable souls, we might suggest the defect was simply that this tablet wasn't very good yet someone still chose to manufacture it. Let's not be hasty, though -- it's a good idea to see what Office Depot does with its inventory before completely writing the G Tablet off.

The app still appears in the App Store, but when you attempt to purchase it you will be told "The item you tried to buy is no longer available." We've also heard that Voice Central (another Google Voice application) is similarly no longer available for purchase.

MailWrangler, a native Gmail client for the iPhone was also rejected from the App Store because the "application duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application Mail without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality, which will lead to user confusion."

As a heavy duty user of Gmail, I've wished for MailWrangler from the beginning. Sure you can use Gmail through Mobile Safari -- as you can use Google Voice -- but as Apple soon learned after trying to convince users and developers that web apps were all we needed, there are certain things which a native application makes much easier.

GV Mobile is a very popular application for using Google Voice on the iPhone. Apple's own phone application is great, but for Google Voice users, a native application was a nice thing to have.

I'm not sure why Apple keeps insisting that users would be confused by apps which do similar things (How many different applications are there which duplicate "Notes" functionality?), but a greater concern is the idea that a developer can work on an application, have it released to huge success, and then have Apple turn around and yank it from the App Store.

I hope these are growing pains that Apple and the App Store will leave behind. Users who seek out, find, download, and install 3rd party applications are unlikely to be "confused" by the "duplication" of functionality. The fact that they sought them out is evidence that they found something lacking from the applications that Apple offers.

The App Store is wonderful, except for the parts of it which are terrible; namely, the review process (which takes too long and rejects too many apps) and the removal of applications which do no harm and which have been released for some time to great success.

We had a bit of a minor freakout when we heard that the Rusted and Ironbound protodrakes might be getting removed as rewards for the Ulduar meta achievements in Patch 3.2, and then even more of one when the slow trickle of information about 3.2 turned into a firehose. Bornakk mentioned the change initially with the caveat that it was their intention to remove the drakes eventually, but that he'd seek definite confirmation either way as to whether it was happening in 3.2 or not. There's been no update about it in the past few weeks.

Well, after a thorough reading of the 3.2 patch notes, I don't see a single trace of anything saying the drakes are getting removed. At the risk of counting my protochickens before they hatch, I think we might be safe, given how fast 3.2 looks like it's coming out.

This is at least a relief for my guild, who's doing pretty well on 10-man hard-mode progression but ... is there a word worse than "dismal"? ... on 25-man hard-modes. Maybe there's hope for us yet.

Should we get the soul-crushing confirmation that they'll be removed with 3.2, we'll be sure to let you know. There's still a lot of time for change on this one, though -- maybe it was an accidental omission, maybe it'll get decided on later -- but for now, you can breathe a little easier knowing you might be able to keep hacking away at those hard modes to get your undeniably awesome drakes even after the Argent Coliseum is commanding your guild's attention.

Patch 3.2 will bring about a new 5, 10, and 25 man instance to WoW, and usher in a new 40-man battleground called the Isle of Conquest. WoW.com will have you covered every step of the way, from extensive PTR coverage through the official live release. Check out WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest!
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achievementachievementsmetapatch-3.2patch-3.2-changespatch-3.2-wowpatchesproto-drakeproto-drakesprotodrakeprotodrakesraidingremovalremoveremovedrewardulduarworld-of-warcraft-patch-3.2wow-3.2-changeswow-new-patchwow-patchwow-patch-3.2wow-patch-newsThu, 18 Jun 2009 18:30:00 -040099|19071553https://wow.joystiq.com/2009/03/06/brew-of-the-year-removed-from-brewmaster-achievement-on-ptr/https://wow.joystiq.com/2009/03/06/brew-of-the-year-removed-from-brewmaster-achievement-on-ptr/https://wow.joystiq.com/2009/03/06/brew-of-the-year-removed-from-brewmaster-achievement-on-ptr/#comments

Following the pattern of removing achievements that take a while to complete from the holiday meta-achievements, Blizzard yanked Brew of the Year from Brewmaster on the current 3.1 PTR. This means that anyone who was missing it now has yet another fair shake at getting their Violet Proto-Drake for completing all of the other holiday achievements for What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been.

I'm pleased that players who missed that one achievement can still have a shot at the big prize, but man, there seems to be an awful lot of meta-achievement caving lately. It just creates the impression that complaining about something will get it changed, and I don't think that's what Blizzard wants players to believe.

To be fair, it was physically impossible for Death Knights to get this achievement until sometime in 2010. This is a good change for them and I'm okay with that. And no, I'm not against Blizzard removing unfair achievements from reward-bearing metas. This was also the only achievement which was impossible to complete during the event itself.

We'll see if the pattern holds after people miss another impossible-to-miss achievement in the Noblegarden set.

Grats to those for whom this achievement change will make a difference, and early props for your purple dragon.

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achievementbrewbrew-of-the-monthbrew-of-the-yearbrewfestbrewmastereventholidaymetameta-achievementprotodrakeremovedvioletworldFri, 06 Mar 2009 15:32:00 -050099|1481195https://www.engadget.com/2008/05/14/dish-network-finishes-off-voom-removes-last-5-channels/https://www.engadget.com/2008/05/14/dish-network-finishes-off-voom-removes-last-5-channels/https://www.engadget.com/2008/05/14/dish-network-finishes-off-voom-removes-last-5-channels/#commentsWell, that was quick. In the midst of adding 22 new HD channels and reporting less-than-stellar Q1 results, DISH Network has now removed the only five remaining VOOM channels from its lineup. If you'll recall, 10 of the 15 went dark yesterday, but now reports are flooding in saying that the last of 'em have also vanished. Yeah, we know the VOOM networks weren't the most watched or anything, but knocking your HD lineup down by 15 doesn't sound like the greatest of moves either. Unless it's planning on adding 15 way more desirable options, that is.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
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breaking newsbreakingnewsdishdish networkdishnetworkhdremovalremovedsatellitevoomWed, 14 May 2008 10:21:00 -040021|1195207https://www.engadget.com/2007/12/02/nbc-content-gets-removed-from-itunes/https://www.engadget.com/2007/12/02/nbc-content-gets-removed-from-itunes/https://www.engadget.com/2007/12/02/nbc-content-gets-removed-from-itunes/#comments

Well folks, it's finally, really happened. According to reports, the last vestiges of NBC have been uprooted and removed from iTunes. In accordance with the company's contract (which expired this month), all the shows you know and love have disappeared and been trucked over to the network's own content portal, NBC Direct. So, those of you hoping to make that one last 30 Rock purchase before the big N cleaned house can put the dream to rest, as well as hopes of grabbing anything from Bravo, mun2, NBC, NBC News, CNBC, NBC Sports, Sci Fi, Sleuth, Telemundo and the USA Network. Hey, at least you can get them at the network's site... what's that? You only get to watch shows for 48 hours, and there's no Mac support? Oh well.

[Via TUAW]
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applecontenthome entertainmentitunesnbcnbc directnbcdirectremovedSun, 02 Dec 2007 17:41:00 -050021|1053059https://www.engadget.com/2007/01/03/charter-cable-customers-in-st-louis-could-lose-kmov-hd-signal/https://www.engadget.com/2007/01/03/charter-cable-customers-in-st-louis-could-lose-kmov-hd-signal/https://www.engadget.com/2007/01/03/charter-cable-customers-in-st-louis-could-lose-kmov-hd-signal/#comments Apparently, love isn't the only game that requires a bit of give and take, as just months after Charter blessed its St. Louis, Missouri customers with two new sparkling HD channels (TNT-HD and MHD), the firm is now about to remove one. Charter Communications has reportedly hit a wall in discussions with Belo. Corp. (which owns KMOV) in regard to the fees that the station wishes to collect from Charter. Although Charter hasn't had any issues receiving permission from other locals to broadcast their HD signals, KMOV is playing hardball, suggesting that Charter pay up to compensate for the "value gained" by having the HD flavor of their station available to users. Of course, the cable company complains that charging for signals that can be received over the air gratis is absurd, and neither party seems to be budging just yet. St. Louis Charter subscribers could lose the signal "as early as tomorrow" unless any band-aids get applied today, but either way, you'll soon be receiving a letter in the mail explaining why there's a sudden black hole where KMOV used to be if things aren't permanently resolved.
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agreementbattlecablecbschannelcharterconflictdisputehdlocalsloseotaremoveremovedst. louisst.louisstlWed, 03 Jan 2007 12:16:00 -050021|728434https://www.tuaw.com/2006/08/02/french-drm-interoperability-law-reverses-stance-no-longer-for/https://www.tuaw.com/2006/08/02/french-drm-interoperability-law-reverses-stance-no-longer-for/https://www.tuaw.com/2006/08/02/french-drm-interoperability-law-reverses-stance-no-longer-for/#commentsPortions of France's copyright law that initially were going to force Apple to open the iTMS + iPod economy for interoperability have now been ruled as unconstitutional. In fact, these provisions have taken almost a complete 180, and they now provide for fining anyone who is caught reverse-engineering DRM in the name of interoperability. Going even further, small fines of 150 euros ($191) for uploading music and 38 euros ($48.50) for downloading it have been replace by steep criminal charges and multiple years of prison time, as well as fines of 500,000 euros ($638,200) - at least that's better than the 'up to $150,000/song' that we have here in the U.S.

Whether you consider this a win or a loss for the digital music industry, let's try to keep any resulting discussion civilized boys and girls.

[via CNET]
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audiochangedrmfrancefrenchinteroperabilityitslawprovisionsremovedWed, 02 Aug 2006 20:30:00 -040016|650052https://www.tuaw.com/2006/07/15/all-your-workouts-are-belong-to-nikeplus/https://www.tuaw.com/2006/07/15/all-your-workouts-are-belong-to-nikeplus/https://www.tuaw.com/2006/07/15/all-your-workouts-are-belong-to-nikeplus/#commentsWe're not sure how a one-sentence support document made it into Apple's support knowledgebase, but this strange doc somehow snuck past the velvet rope. It simply states: "There is no way to remove workout data from the nikeplus website", with a 'stay tuned for more info' bit at the end to finish off what is probably the shortest support document we have ever seen.

Getting to the topic, however: it seems just a bit strange that there is no way to remove workout information from this supposedly revolutionary new service/iPod accessory. It's not like we're suddenly terrified about Nike's trampling of user privacy, but we wouldn't be surprised if a few tin foil hat fashion aficionados raised at least some sort of a flag over this.
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accessoriesappledeletedeleteddocdocumentinternet toolsknowledgebasenikenikeplusodds and endsplusremoveremovedsitesoftwaresupportwebsiteworkoutSat, 15 Jul 2006 10:30:00 -040016|643302https://www.tuaw.com/2006/07/14/apple-pulls-education-imac/https://www.tuaw.com/2006/07/14/apple-pulls-education-imac/https://www.tuaw.com/2006/07/14/apple-pulls-education-imac/#commentsA little more than a week since Apple began offering a rock-bottom priced iMac configuration targeted at educational customers, the company has stopped offering the machine to anyone other than institutional buyers. The $900 replacement for the eMac differed from the baseline consumer model only in its loss of superdrive, dedicated graphics, bluetooth, and Front Row caused a big stir with students heading back to school this fall.

Rumor in the ether is that this is par-for-the-course for an education product release. The cycle goes like this: Product is announced >> lots of people get excited and order it >> Apple realizes that if they keep getting orders at the current pace, they won't be able to supply the institutional buyers who they originally targeted >> Apple pulls product from mainstream consumer stores >> ...time passes... >> the educational buying season ends >> Apple allows us regular people to place orders again.